The Proposal
by Brightness Davar
Summary: "Your Majesty," he said, suddenly serious...The feeling of the ring through his pant pocket gave him the courage he needed. "I would like your blessing for Princess Anna's hand in marriage." Three-shot Angst, sisterly feels, Kristanna fluff...what more could you want? Continuation of "Dance me to the end of love" and "Nobility 101". Can be read as a stand alone.
1. Will you marry me?

**Welp, we all NEED to write a Kristoff proposes thing some time or another, amirite? :3**

 **I read a one-shot by Batman1809 and really felt he had something going there...so I gave it a shot as well.**

 **I do not own Frozen.**

* * *

"Okay, this is ridiculous. You're a mountain man, for Odin's sake! You've done waay more difficult things before…" Kristoff sighed as he walked up the stairs, alone. "And it's not like Elsa will freeze you were you stand, even though she did joke about doing exactly that after we met… But that was before you two knew each other. You've established a friendship; she's practically already your sister...This will only make it official."

He stopped trying to give himself a pep talk when a servant passed by him going down the stairs he was ascending. Some of them already thought he was crazy speaking _for_ a reindeer, he didn't want to add more fuel to that fire by speaking to himself.

He walked down the hall towards her study with determined strides. He'd have to ask Elsa today. Anna had taken her horse, Kjekk, for a much needed ride and some attention after a few weeks' neglect. It wasn't her fault. The Princess had just been very busy having taken on more responsibility to lessen the burden Elsa was under as Queen.

It's been two years since the Thaw and Kristoff had never been more sure about anything in his life. He loved Anna. And he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Despite all the physical torture he would have to endure in becoming a 'royal', he'd climb mountains for his Feisty Pants. Literally and figuratively. He'd already learnt how to dance, thanks to Elsa, and eat with some noble air, thanks to the duchess of Throndheim. Those were mountains of their own calibre already. He knew there was still a lot more to learn, but he was willing to endure any and everything if it meant that he could have her as his wife.

A chilly breeze swept through the hall he was walking in making him stop in his tracks. It was Summer. So there was only one thing that could cause a breeze laced with Winter. And that one thing burst out from her study and turned towards the mountain man in the hallway. She was livid, that much Kristoff could tell, even from all the way down the hall.

 _Maybe now isn't such a good time to talk to her…_

Kristoff pivoted on his toes and all but ran from the hallway, away from the wrath of the Snow Queen. He pitied the poor sap who had invoked her icy ire.

* * *

Two weeks.

He's been trying to speak with Elsa for two whole weeks after her icy outburst. It turns out that _Weasel Town_ hadn't taken 'no' for an answer to their 'request 'of reopening trade. Again. Kristoff had to credit the guy for his knack of persistence even when it went over the brink of stupidity. The Duke would have more luck hacking away at the North Mountain with a toothpick.

Anna had returned from her ride just in time to stop Elsa from boarding a ship and freezing the Duke to the righteous pedestal he had placed himself on.

"The nerve of that vertically challenged, imbecilic, egotistic, son of a fishmonger…" Elsa had rambled on in many other more colourful adjectives to describe the Duke that day.

Kristoff and Anna had had to fight to keep their amusement at the situation at bay, lest the Queen decided to bury them under snow. Luckily, she hadn't. Elsa was anything but unreasonable. She calmed down fairly quickly, but only after erecting a few ice statues of the Weasel and shattering them into millions of pieces.

He tried to speak with the Queen again after _that_ incident but, whenever she was alone she was either exhausted or very busy in her study. When she wasn't busy, Anna was always with her. Al-freakin'-ways. Moss spent less time clinging to a trolls back than the two sisters! Given, they've been apart for thirteen years, but jeeze! All Kristoff wanted was a half hour. Not even. He needed Elsa to be alone if he was going to be able to ask her the question that will change his and Anna's lives forever. He needed to ask for her hand in marriage, like he needed air to breathe.

And sooner will be much better than later.

The ring he had was starting to burn a hole in his pocket. If he didn't ask Elsa today he was sure he would spontaneously combust. A sudden stroke of genius had him seek out the Queen's steward instead. Kai knew and was in charge of the Queen's schedule so he would be able to help him see her. If it meant making an appointment to do so, the so be it.

Promptly at four in the afternoon later that day, Kristoff stood before her study. Kai, Odin bless him! had been able to tweak her schedule to allow him an appointment before her day would end. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door. No hesitating this time.

"Enter." The Queen called regally.

Kristoff swallowed and did as was told.

"Kristoff," Elsa's face lit up, surprised but delighted to see him, "You made an _appointment_ to see me? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, no everything's fine." He said as he closed the door behind him, "This was the only way I could get you alone…"

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Without Anna with you, that is." He added, rubbing his neck and looking everywhere but at the Queen. "I need to ask you something. I've wanted to ask you for _two weeks_ now, but something always either interrupted, or happened, or Anna was with you, or you'd be too tired." He failed to notice her smile forming and a knowing twinkle start to shine in her eyes. "So, after I tried everything, I got the idea to ask Kai if he could help and then this happened…

"Your Majesty," he said, suddenly serious. Elsa dropped her smile immediately and adopted her regal mask in response to his formal tone. He looked at her with steel of determination and stood straighter. The feeling of the ring through his pant pocket gave him the courage he needed. "I would like your blessing for Princess Anna's hand in marriage."

He stood his ground as the silence stretched out between them. The Queen, after what seemed like an eternity to the mountain man, finally stood from her desk. Kristoff swallowed his building nerves at her emotionless mask.

"Master Bjorgman." Her tone was clipped and formal, "Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to –"

"Make myself worthy?" he interrupted her sentence, fists clenched in resolve. "I am."

"No, Kristoff." Elsa's voice softened. She stepped out from behind her desk. "You're already worthy. You've been from day one."

Kristoff blinked, taken aback by her honest intensity. Anna had told him many times that he was worthy, even some of the nobility had warmed up to him. But, he'd never heard it from Elsa before. She had been friendly enough and taught him many things during the past two years, but he'd always felt that she needed further convincing.

He had never felt so happy about being wrong before.

"Thanks." He felt himself relax. "You have no idea what that means to me."

She smiled, a rare loving smile she only reserved for her sister. "What I was going to say," she continued, having dropped her royal persona completely, "was: are you ready to do whatever it takes to face a whole mess of ugly that will come your way?"

"What do you mean?" he shoved his hand into the pocket with the ring in it.

She sighed, "The duchess of Throndheim had done her best to paint you in a good light since the dinner last month, and many have accepted you as Anna's beau before that, but they secretly hope that your relationship will fall through…" Her expression was pained for a split second before it hardened. She looked him square in the eye. "This isn't going to be easy, Kristoff. When word of your engagement spreads there will be –" she sighed, shaking her head, "It doesn't matter. I'll take care of them. I will not allow them to interfere with what you two have. Anna loves you and you love her and that's all that matters."

"What can I do to help?"

Elsa thought a while, pacing as she did so, "We could always – no, that won't work. How about –?" she shook her head, "What if…" she stopped, mulling her idea over. "What if…" she turned to him, hopeful, "What if I made you a lord?"

Kristoff sighed audibly, shoulders slumping. "Gjude – I mean the duchess warned me this might happen…"

"She did?"

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his neck, "I've been preparing myself –"

Elsa blinked, "You have?"

"Yeah, like she advised, but it's still a shock that I'm going to become a lord…That is, if Anna says yes."

"Of course she'll say yes!" she scoffed in a very unqueenly manner, "Why wouldn't she?"

"I-I'm just nervous." He plopped on the seat before Elsa's desk, holding his head in his hand, "I tried being 'noble' at the dinner the other night…I was almost overwhelmed. If it wasn't for Gjude's guidance…"

"Anna should really have planned that better and prepared you _at least_ a week before the dinner." Elsa came over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "But you don't have to worry overtly much. I'll train you in the ways of nobility and how to be a lord. I think I'll even ask lord Vans and the duchess to join us in preparing for it."

"Yeah…that sounds like a plan." He sat up straighter, fingering the ring in his pocket. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure." She moved to stand before him, leaning back against her desk. She already considered him family, might as well get comfortable around him.

"What do you think of the ring I'm gonna give her?" he asked taking said ring out for the Queen's scrutiny.

Elsa took the ring from his fingers, bringing it closer to study. It was made from two thin silver bands that were held together by a fine golden vine-like decoration that twirled around them. The oval emerald was held in place by the same thin vine that criss-crossed its edges, softening the big jewel into a smaller size barely as big as her pinkie. It was elegant, charming, and very Anna-like.

"It's beautiful, Kristoff." Elsa breathed, studying the finer detail. Parts of the vine even had a few leaves scattered about it. "It's perfect."

"Thanks…" he deflated in relief, "I worked really hard on it."

"You _made_ this?" her jaw dropped. She couldn't help but study it again. What she thought to be an emerald was in fact a crystal. One of the trolls' crystals, if she was correct. "Is this…?"

"Yeah," he smiled, fond. "It's a gift from my family. I used a piece from the crystal I'm planning on giving to her on our wedding day. It's kind of like a troll tradition thing."

"It's incredible." She looked up at him, a sly smirk pulling her lips, "So this is why you were so busy last Winter."

"Yeah…" he rubbed his neck. "So you think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it." She gave the ring back to him, "When are you planning on asking her?"

"When are you planning on making me a lord?"

"After you propose." Elsa nodded, agreeing with her statement. "Anna will suspect if it's done sooner."

"Okaaay…" He leaned back in his chair and cast his eyes out the window, thinking. "Just to make sure," he looked at her, "I have your blessing, right?"

"Yes," she giggled, "you do."

"Great!" he jumped up and placed his hands on his hips, "I think…I'll do it before this week's end. I still have to plan a few things…I was thinking of taking her on an 'ice harvesting trip'," he air quoted, "there's this glen with a beautiful view of Arendelle, that's not too far out to ride."

"Do you need any help?"

"Could you distract her for the remainder of the week? It's just three more days, but she usually doesn't leave me alone before I have to leave on a trip."

"Consider it done." She beamed at him, happy, so, so very happy for him and her sister. "Welcome to the family Kristoff." She stepped towards him and opened her arms.

He grinned down at her and engulfed her in the biggest hug she had ever experienced. Her surprised squeak soon turned into fond giggles as she hugged her soon to be brother-in-law.

* * *

The next three days were a flurry of activity and nerves from both Kristoff and Elsa.

Elsa had kept Anna busy as best she could the first day, but her sister had a tendency to get bored very easily. She couldn't just leave the kingdom to run itself for three whole days, even if she reeeealy wanted to. And thus, Olaf was recruited. Elsa didn't tell him why, because the snowman could keep a secret as well as he could resist melting without his flurry. She just told him to keep her busy with everything and anything he could think of.

She didn't know what Olaf did, but whenever Elsa could step away from her work to take a little break, she found her sister engrossed with whatever Olaf had her doing and then sound asleep, exhausted by the end of the day.

By the second day, Olaf had trouble keeping Anna with him. The redhead had realised that she hadn't seen Kristoff at all the previous day, and he only had two more days left before he had to go ice harvesting. Elsa was forced to leave her desk and play with her sister in the snow she created. At first, Elsa had pranked Anna to distract her. But, as things usually tend to happen, that soon escalated into a full blown snowball war in the ball room that lasted most of the day. Kristoff sent a note explaining that he couldn't join them for dinner. There was an 'emergency' with his family that evening; he planned on staying the night by the trolls. Needless to say, Anna had been grumpy the rest of the evening.

The third day, the day of the planned but still unsuspecting proposal, found Anna sad and irritable. If Kristoff didn't come back today, she wouldn't see him for a whole month or so. He'd be in the mountains for two weeks and spend the last two weeks running the Ice Harvester's guild. Selling, haggling, and keeping his fellow harvesters happy. It was very busying work. He _was_ Arendelle's Ice Master and deliverer, Anna understood this. That didn't mean she was happy about the whole situation...

Kristoff arrived back later that afternoon, a few hours past noon.

He had been a nervous wreck the past three days, having spent them fretting over how to make the proposal as romantic as physically possible. The first day her had paced the length of his cabin in town figuring out what he was going to do. He wanted and even started planning on building an arch thing and decorate it with flowers, he started entertaining the idea of plucking millions of roses and arranging their pedals on the ground where he'd propose. But it all felt so fake. So unlike him. After a whole day of futile planning and scrapping of plans only to begin planning something else, he had fled to his family for help the evening of the second day, feigning an 'emergency'. They were the love experts after all. He knew they would be able to help.

When Bulda, his adoptive mother, had told him to keep it simple, he smacked himself on the forehead so hard it had left a red hand print. He would've gone back early the next morning and propose at breakfast if his mother didn't grab his ear and advised him on keeping it simple _and_ romantic.

A picnic at sunset, she had said.

So, he dropped his 'ice harvesting' excuse to get her to go with him to the glen. Instead, he snuck back to Arendelle castle just after noon, organised a basket to be prepared for the late afternoon, and went to his cabin in town to wait for time to move faster than the Earth could turn.

When the time had finally come, he found Anna lying on the floor in the portrait gallery, staring at the painting of _Joan of Arc_.

"Hey Feisty Pants."

Her head whipped towards him before she sat up. "Don't you 'Hey Feisty Pants' me!" she scrambled to her feet, and he took an involuntary step back at her fire.

"Where have you been?" she stomped towards him, "You're leaving for harvesting _tomorrow_ , Kristoff! We're supposed to spend as much time together as possible. Now I won't really see you for like, ever after today."

"I'm sorry, Anna…" his face fell.

This isn't what he planned on having happened; he thought Elsa would keep her busy. But she is a Queen, he can't expect her to drop everything and help him. Though he still wishes she had.

"I've been busy with Olaf and Elsa these past two days," she said looking up at him with sad and angry eyes. "and I really enjoyed being with them, but now Elsa needs to catch up on her work and Olaf is – Odin knows where. I just wanted to be with you too…"

So Elsa had helped. He'd have to figure out how to thank her properly. Later. Now he had a distraught redhead to cheer up.

"I'm sorry…" he said again, stepping closer to her, "Let me make it up to you."

"How? The day is almost over."

"It's not over yet." He grinned at her, heart already hammering in his chest. "Come with me."

* * *

" _Hey_!" Kristoff yelled, leaning low on Sven's back as he raced Anna to the glen. "Only I know where we have to go!"

"If you weren't so slow!" she called over her shoulder whilst nudging her horse to go faster. "Then this wouldn't be a problem!"

"Come on Sven!" he urged, not that he needed to. Anna had insulted Sven's speed; she will have to pay dearly.

The reindeer shot forwards with newfound determination, passing a surprised redhead whose twin braids trailed behind her like red streamers. She grinned and urged Kjekk even faster, now neck on neck with her boyfriend.

"That all ya got?!" she shouted over the wind whistling past her ears.

He grinned, that lopsided grin that made her heart flutter and – _slowed_ down?

"Whoa, Kjekk." She slowed him to a canter, then a trot, and then stopped completely. "What are you –? Oh," she looked at their surroundings and frowned "is this the place?"

"Almost." He answered, dismounting Sven. "Good job, bud."

"What are you congratulating him for?" She walked Kjekk towards her mountain man. "I'm the one who won."

"Sure, ya are Feisty Pants." he said while she dismounted.

As soon as she was close enough, she smacked him on his shoulder playfully, "No one likes a sore loser."

"We can leave Kjekk and Sven here," he said, ignoring her jibe. He unhooked the duffel bag froms Sven's saddle. There's enough grass and a stream nearby to keep them occupied." He swung the bag over his shoulder, "No wolves this close to the town either."

"Okay," she tied her horses' reins to his bridle. That way they won't get caught on the brush or be too tight for him to bend down and eat. "We'll be back soon, Kjekk. See ya, Sven."

Kristoff held his hand out for her. She took it automatically, weaving her fingers with his and followed him through the path in a small part of the forest.

"We are we going?" she asked, looking around in wonder. The trees where so close together that they created a type of canopy above them. The forest was alive with the crunching of their boots and chirps of insects and birds alike. "Are we gonna picnic somewhere?"

"Yup." He said when they broke through the brush.

Anna gasped.

Before them stood a soft grassy mound with a beautiful blue backdrop decorated by swirling white clouds that melted into the white peaked mountains where Arendelle sat nestled in its arms.

"Oh, Kristoff…it's beautiful."

"None of this can hold a candle to you, Anna." Kristoff grinned and tugged her up the gentle slope. He can't recall when he had actually become so sappy; he just knew that Anna had made him so. And he couldn't care less.

The couple set up the picnic, blanket and all and made themselves comfortable next to each other. Kristoff retrieved the basket from the bag and retrieved a sandwich for each of them as well as a small container chock full of chocolate for Anna.

"You know me so well…" she simpered, accepting the sandwich but popping a few chocolates in her mouth first.

They sat for a while, eating, chatting about visiting the trolls, and Olaf's latest disaster – he had developed a habit to barge into any and every door that was closed. Once, a few weeks back, he walked right in on a dignitary undressing. Thankfully it had been a man and he had only removed his shirt, but he had been the first half naked plump man Olaf had ever seen. So of course the snowman asked a myriad of embarrassing questions before the red-faced man could get him to leave.

As the sun followed its course through the sky, nearing the sea, Kristoff could feel his heart start to beat fast and heavily. It was almost time to ask Anna the most important question he will ever ask in his life. Oblivious, Anna manoeuvred herself closer to Kristoff by resting her back against his chest. He held her closer by draping his arms across her stomach.

"This is perfect." She breathed, snuggling down deeper.

This was it! This was the exact opening he was waiting for! Maybe crappy timing, having just settled down into comfortable positions…but he doesn't know if he'll get another chance like this. Besides, he now had much too much nervous energy to sit still.

"Anna," he said, swallowing his nerves before he could speak again. "W-would walk will take you with me? Wait what?"

She giggled at his stutter and agreed easily. She reasoned that he probably wanted to take her to a better vantage point to see the sunset. Hand in hand, they strolled towards the little brook that flowed nearby, the same one where Sven and Kjekk could drink from further downstream. Kristoff's heartbeat sped up as he made up his mind to speak.

"I love you!" he blurted, turning red at his outburst.

"I love you too." Anna responded with a wayward giggle, already used to his awkwardness. She looked at him with a smile that made his legs turn to jelly.

"Anna, you mean so much to me." He continued slowly, pulling her to a stop close to the bubbling water.

Anna's smile grew and he could easily see the feelings he had mirrored in her oceanic eyes.

He took a deep breath, calming his racing thoughts. "Before I met you, I was happy to be alone for, well, ever. But then you stood in my way. Literally." Anna smiled, recalling the time his first word to her had been 'carrots'. "And then we had the biggest adventure ever: hiking up the mountain to find your sister. I really thought you were the craziest person I had ever met. I still think you are."

"Hey!" she smacked his arm with her hand, "It's what makes me unique."

"No kidding," he chuckled, taking her freehand in his. He looked at her, heart pounding beneath his ribs, holding both her hands in his. "I fell in love. Despite the fact that I was against the whole 'true love' thing, I fell in love with you after three days. At least it wasn't one, right? Heh."

A flash of green eyes flitted through Anna's mind and she felt her heart spike with pain, but kept her feelings hidden.

"Heh, yeah…" she knew he was joking, but sometimes it still hurt to think about what had happened with Hans...

"Anyway," his voice plucked her out of that dark hole in her heart, "After everything that had happened after…everything, I knew I had to take the second chance I was given to get to know you better. You are the most selfless, loyal and stubborn person I know. And I love you for it. I love the way your eyes sparkle with mischief and how you always get us in a heap of trouble," he grinned and she mirrored his expression weakly.

"I always get us out of it too, ya know."

"I do," his heart leapt, "I love the way you smile at me, how your eyes soften when you look at me…" wow he was getting extra sappy, but Anna was looking at him exactly like he said she did and he couldn't help himself. "You've brought colour to my life, Anna."

He kneeled. Her heart stopped. Anna's eyes widened, seeing another time and place a man had kneeled before her.

 _Can I say something crazy?_ _Hans asked her._

"Anna, I love you so much, I don't even want to imagine my life without you. I can't." He confessed, taking a deep breath. He looked up at her.

"Will you marry me?" Kristoff asked, but all she could hear was Hans' voice. Could only see Hans' face looking at her with Kristoff's hopeful eyes.

 _Can I say something even crazier?_ "Kristoff…" she whispered, trembling with sudden fear.

 _Yes! A naive Anna exclaimed without the slightest hesitation._

"I-I…" An older Anna released Kristoff's hands and took a step back. His hopeful smile turned into a frown of concern. "I-I can't..."

Anna's heart shattered at the exact moment Kristoff's did.

A choked "I'm sorry." was all she could manage before she ran towards where they had left Kjekk and Sven.

* * *

Elsa stood on the library's balcony that overlooked the castle's courtyard below her. The sun had set a while back and Kristoff and Anna should be back any minute now. She wanted to see them from a distance so that she could be the first to meet and congratulate them. She hadn't stopped smiling since they had left on their little trip.

She had been reading a book to distract herself until they were to arrive, but now the sun had set, and along with it went her desire to keep reading. She kept her eyes fixed on the southern town line, where Anna and Kristoff should reappear. After having stared for what seemed like hours, something caught her attention.

A lone rider on a white horse broke through the forest a little way from the town. Elsa squinted, could it be Anna? But where was Kristoff? A ball of solid ice formed in the pit of her stomach. She watched who she could now recognise was Anna, race through town towards the castle with mounting dread. Maybe something had happened to Kristoff!

Without thinking about it, Elsa thrust her hands forward calling her magic into action. It leapt from her fingertips in swirls, creating the beginnings of a crude slide made entirely out of frost. She stepped up onto an icy platform, and then the railing and onto her creation. A snowflake shot from her foot, transforming the frost into solid ice. She pushed off and created the slide while she surfed down towards the courtyard. It reached the cobblestones just as Anna shot through the gate with Kjekk.

"Anna! What happened?" Elsa tried to keep her panic restrained as Anna dismounted without a sound, her back to her sister. "Where's Kristoff?"

At his name, the redhead hunched her shoulders and made a choking sound deep within her throat before she bolted into the castle.

" _Anna_!" before Elsa could hick her skirt and chase after her sister, hooves on cobblestone and a familiar braying caught her attention.

"Sven?" She turned around and saw Kristoff sitting on the reindeer. It looked as if the light had been snuffed right out of him. His usually bright eyes were dull and lifeless.

"Kristoff?" She walked up towards him. Something was very wrong.

"I just came to make sure she came back alright."

"What happened?" she asked, reaching out to touch his knee.

He jerked Sven to turn around and away from her comfort and worrying eyes. "She said no."

"What? She couldn't…" Elsa's heart stopped, warring with what her ears had heard. "She _wouldn't_!"

"Well she _did_!" he shouted over his shoulder, but deflated almost immediately. "She…she said…no. I need to leave. I can't – I can't stay here. I'm going to the trolls. Goodbye, Queen Elsa."

With a nudge, both man and reindeer galloped out of the courtyard into the night.

* * *

 **So...that happened :P sorry, not sorry.**

 **Next installment asap :)**

 **Review and let me know what you think of this turn of events. I actually think this would be a more realistic reaction on Anna's part, if you do or don't, lemme know :)**

 **The next chapter will be chocked full of sisterly feels and troll wisdom.**


	2. I can't

**Hello! :) Thanks so much for all your fave's and follows and reviews :D You guys are too kind.**

 **Whelp, here's the second part...yeah.**

 **Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

 _Anna said no._ _Anna had said no to marrying the love of her love?_ Elsa shook her head at the absurd thought as she climbed the stairs. _But it's not absurd. She really had said no, at least that's what Kristoff said._

"But why?" The blonde hurried her pace, determined to come to terms of this…mess.

She needed to fix it. Something must've happened. There's no other reason. Did Kristoff do something wrong? Elsa shook her head while she climbed the stairs two at a time. That wouldn't stop Anna from spending the rest of her life with him. He speaks _for_ his reindeer. He licked Flemmy the fungus troll's forehead their first Christmas together, for Freya's sake! And he _always_ eats a carrot right after his reindeer does, no matter how many times they've asked him to stop. He's a… _weird_ person, that's for sure. But what he's done had never put Anna off before. Elsa knew her sister loved Kristoff as much as she loved chocolate. Actually, she loved him more than even that. Elsa picked up her skirt when she crested the stairs and ran the rest of the way to her sister's room.

She came face to face with a closed door.

"Anna?" she called before reaching to turn the nob, not bothering to knock.

The door didn't budge. Elsa came up short, her eyes widened with worry. Anna's never locked the door before…

"Anna?" her ear met the door, straining to hear something, anything. Muffled sobs wormed their way to Elsa's hearing. " _Anna_?" she stood back, willing the door to open, for her sister to open it. "Anna, open the door. Please." three quick raps against the door followed her plea. "Let me in, I can help. What happened?"

Her little sister either chose to ignore her, or couldn't hear her. Elsa bit her lip hoping the latter was true, and glanced to the side to her own bedroom door. She ran towards it, praying to any and all gods she knew that Anna hadn't locked the door that lead to their shared dressing room.

Elsa burst through her door, making a beeline through her room to the dressing room. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she saw into Anna's room. Her crying was more audible now. Without stopping to think or breathe, Elsa jogged past colourful cloth and entered Anna's room. The redhead lay on her bed on her stomach, clutching a pillow that she was crying into. Her shoulders shook with unbridled sorrow and her breath came in short broken sobs. Elsa took this all in as she hastened to her sister's side.

"Anna?"

This time she got a response. Anna looked up from her pillow, eyes red and puffy and it seemed like her tears started to flood out with renewed gusto when she met her sister's concerned gaze.

"Elsa –" she sucked in a quick breath, her chest constricting with her sorrow. "h-he…w-we…" she sobbed, clutching her pillow. Her eyes widened in sudden fear when all she could manage when trying to breathe were shallow gasps. "I-I can't – _bre-athe_!"

The eldest wiped her mind of the alarm and magic she felt building inside of her. "Okay…" she stepped towards her panicking sister. "Okay. You need to listen to me, alright?"

Anna nodded through a heaving chest. Her dress suddenly felt too tight around her chest. Her lungs burned worse than that one time she had accidentally inhaled fine pepper powder. Like then, they struggled to cooperate with the simplest command: just _breathe_.

"Sit up." Elsa instructed as soon as she stood before Anna, holding her hands out for her sister to take. She then kneeled before her when Anna's shaking hands clasped onto her cool palms. With a shuddering breath that was shortening by the second, she sat up on her bed, feet dangling off the side. The distraught young woman clung to supportive hands like a life line, eyes wild with mounting panic. Chest heaving frantically, trying to suck in enough air.

"El-Elsa," she gasped, "I-I c-can't –"

"Now, take a deep breath in." Elsa breathed in slowly, encouraging her now hyperventilating sister to follow her lead. Anna's breath was increasingly ragged and much too short, but after she received a comforting smile she forced herself to relax. She was in capable hands now. She wasn't alone. Anna managed to fill her lungs after a while of sucking it in. The air quivered inside her, barely making it through her tight throat.

"Hold it for a while. Release."

Anna exhaled with her sister's guidance. Her eyes where screwed closed as she focussed on what she could hear and feel. Her sister's cool hands and soothing voice.

"Breathe in." she instructed with a calm she was far from feeling, before she inhaled audibly. Worried eyes never left her sister's face flitting through so many emotions, Elsa had lost count. "And out…"

Anna's breathing evened out after a few more repetitions, becoming less and less uneven and shallow. With every passing moment, Elsa could read the signs of Calm starting to take Panic's place. Her magic stilled, like a cat lounging in the sun with its tails twitching, alert but subdued. Soon Annawas breathing normally, but sniffing all the while. Puffy teal eyes opened and saw a blurry Elsa watching her with open concern.

"Better?" her big sister asked with a wan smile.

The youngest nodded. Satisfied that she had calmed down enough, Elsa sat down next to her and opened her arms for a much needed hug. Without hesitating Anna latched onto her, scrunching cloth in her white-knuckled fists. The blonde held her as close as possible, stroking smoothing circles on her back. Silent tears streamed down Anna's red cheeks having taken the place of her earlier loud wailing. She trembled in the aftermath.

"What happened, Solskinn…?" Elsa asked after a few minutes of hugging had passed.

The redhead sniffed and moved out of loving arms. She stayednext to her sister, shoulders and head drooped low, hands clasped on her lap loosely. The eldest placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, trying to lend her some strength.

A sharp gusty sigh escaped Anna's lips. "He asked me to marry him." Her voice was raw from crying, a mixture of immense sadness and emotionlessness in her tone.

Elsa waited. She sensed it would be best to let her speak at the pace she chose to reveal what had happened.

"He asked me to marry him, and I…" Anna closed her eyes and what was left of her heart crumbled, "I…"

"You said no." Elsa surmised. Worry tugged her brow downward when Anna flinched as if struck.

"Well…" she wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "I didn't…" she sighed again, "I didn't say no exactly…" Anna dared to look up when Elsa didn't respond. She was met with cerulean eyes conveying such profound confusion is swirled behind her eyes like snowflakes. Anna could literally see the gears working in Elsa's mind as she tried to digest what she heard.

"You.. _didn't_ say no?"

Anna shook her head, looking at her wringing hands in her lap.

"But –"

"I said…I said that I _can't_."

Confusion paramount, Elsa dared a simple question that would hopefully give her more clarity. "Why?"

A Hans sized boot stomped on the pieces of Anna's heart that lay scattered around her. Tiny pinpricks of pain shot from her core with her every breath.

"I…I'm scared…" at the confession, teal eyes snapped up fro her hands and stared at her sister with a desperate need for Elsa to understand. Another type of floodgate had burst with her words. "Elsa, all I could see – all I could _hear_ was the time – the time H-Hans had asked me to marry him. I was so caught up in the moment, back then, having dreamt of finding "the One" my whole life that I didn't hesitate when he asked me to marry him two years ago. But…But he turned out to be a fake – and broke my heart when I needed him the most – I – I…Why would Kristoff even want to spend the rest of his life with me?"

The eldest sister's frown deepened at her absurd evasive question. "Why wouldn't he want to?"

"Elsa," Anna stood up, exasperated. "Have you _met_ me?" she started pacing before her sister still seated on the bed, hands folded in her lap. "I'm clumsy and forgetful and messy and…" she gestured as she spoke, arms flailing as she searched for an excuse. "and the complete opposite of graceful and elegant and everything a Princess should be."

"That's not the reason and you know it." Elsa countered softly.

Anna stopped her pacing, clasping her elbow in her hand.

"What are you thinking about?" Elsa asked, her frown softening into empathy. She stood up and walked to her sister's window when Anna didn't answer. "Are you thinking about the time Hans had left you when you needed him the most? Are you remembering the hurt you went through when everyone who you thought loved you left you alone? Are you worried that Kristoff might turn out to be Hans in disguise?"

Elsa turned around and saw that Anna had started hugging her middle somewhere along her line of questions. Her eyes were screwed shut but that didn't stop the silent tears from leaking out.

"I…I'm afraid," Anna whispered, deafeated. "that-that I don't know what love _truly_ is. What if I'm wrong again? What if I make another mistake? Like I made with _him_. What if I've never really known what love is?"

"Anna, Solskinn." She waited for her sister to look at her before she continued. "Who kept knocking on my door for thirteen years? Who hiked up a mountain in a ball gown to find me? Who risked their _life_ to save me? Hmm?"

Elsa had taken a step towards her sister after each rhetorical question she had asked. She now stood before Anna who looked like she was folding in on herself. The weight she had placed on her own shoulders was becoming too much to bare.

" _You_ did." The blonde answered, lifting Anna's downturned face up. "You know more about love than I ever could."

"But you said I didn't know anything about true love." She argued brokenly.

"That was a long time ago," Elsa cupped her cheeks, sorrow lacerating her heart. "I was foolish. You taught me what love is. I've seen it. I've felt it before _and_ after the isolation. I'm sorry for what I said to you in the past. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It doesn't matter." Anna sighed, turning away from Elsa in an attempt to shrug her off.

"Yes it does." She caught her sister's wrist and pulled her into a tight hug. "It matters because you need to believe me when I say that you, of all people, know exactly what love is."

Anna returned the embrace, burying her face in Elsa's neck.

"Okay…" the youngest whispered, deciding to trust in what she had been told.

The sisters held onto each other for a while. Elsa willing Anna to believe her and Anna recalling what Olaf had told her all those years ago. "Love is putting someone else's needs before your own…"

"Exactly." Elsa let go of her after a quick squeeze, and held her face in her hands again. "And you do that time and time again."

"So do you." Watery eyes smiled.

"This isn't about me, this is about you and how we're going to fix this." She released her sister's face and placed her hands on her hips. "So, how are we going to fix this?"

"I don't know if this can be fixed…" Anna scrubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm.

"Come on Anna, where is your annoyingly stubborn – but equally endearing – optimism when you need it most?"

The redhead sighed, turning away from her big sister. "I've ruined everything. I've hurt him. I've hurt him so badly…and I don't know what to do."

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I do." Anna faced her, certainty shining with her tears. "With all my heart."

"Do you want to marry him?"

"…yes." Came the whispered answer that made her heart cramp, "But he'll never –"

"Anna." Elsa interrupted with a smile "How do you know what he'll do if you don't find out?"

"Okay…" a deep breath was all sound she made as she mulled over what her sister suggested. "W-where is he?"

"He said he was going to the trolls."

* * *

"Kristoff's home!"

"Yay!"

"He's home!"

"Where's Anna?"

"Hey Kristoff, where –?"

"Hey everyone!" He cut through their bulbous bodies, plastering a fake smile on his face. "I'm reeeeal tired, so I'm just gonna hit the hay, 'kay?"

Without waiting for their consent, he walked through them and headed for the cave-room he used when he visited.

Bulda, his adoptive mother, eyed her husband and a concerned Sven before she followed after her obviously distraught son.

* * *

"Elsa, we can't really slide _uphill_ …can we?" she jogged to keep up with her sister's long strides, clutching her small two-man sled under her arm awkwardly.

"Oh, really?" cerulean eyes turned to ice as she summoned her powers, "Well, we'll just have to defy gravity then, won't we?"

"Okaaay," Anna watched her twirl her magic between her slender fingers, "You said he went to the trolls, right?"

"Mhmm."

"So shouldn't we, ya know, leave town instead of heading for the library?"

"I made a slide earlier and didn't dismiss it." She informed her as they entered the library. "We need some momentum to start this journey and I think this will do the trick."

The sisters entered the library and Anna immediately saw that a part of the balcony was shining with ice in the moonlight. "So _that's_ why I had to bring my sled with."

"Yes," she stepped out onto the balcony, followed closely by the redhead. "I thought it would be better than giving your bum frost bite."

"Good idea." Anna placed the sled on the platform Elsa had conjured up earlier. "My bum is kinda allergic to frostbite."

"Alright, here's the plan." Elsa helped her sister up into the sled and followed to sit behind her. "You need to steer while I propel us forward. Just shout out directions and I'll make the slide appear before you, got it?"

"Yeah."

"Ready?"

"Yes." Anna looked towards the valley of living rock with renewed determination. "Yes I am."

Elsa summoned a breeze to push them over the edge. They shot down to the courtyard so fast, both of their stomachs ended up being lodged in their throats. When they reached the courtyard, Elsa banished the slide behind them and created the track before them as they raced through town. Luckily it was evening, so most of the town's people were already inside their homes or closing hteir shops. That left relatively deserted streets for them to glide through. The full moon cresting the mountains coupled by Elsa's magical glow gave them enough light to see by when they entered the darker wooded area.

Hopefully her light could keep other dangers at bay.

* * *

"Ma, I _really_ don't want to talk about it."

"And that's _exactly_ why we have to talk about it." Bulda stood unmoving like the boulder she was, eyeing him with equal parts stubbornness and concern. "You can either talk willingly in your room, or I can drag you out for a group family discussion. Your choice."

He flinched and looked up to see that she wasn't kidding in the least. Group family anything's usually ended up with more misunderstandings and drama or musical numbers than he could deal with. Especially now, with his heart having been torn in two.

Sven appeared from behind the troll standing at the cave's entrance. He sat down and brayed his support. With a heavy and deep sigh, Kristoff let his defences weaken. He sunk into sitting on his bed, shoulders drooping along with his head, hands clasped loosely between his knees. The weight he was holding threatened to crush him if he didn't find a way to put it down without it falling on top of him.

"Anna…" he croaked.

"Is she alright?" the troll asked with mounting concern, taking a step closer. "Did something happen?"

"Something did happen, but it's not what you think it is." He closed his burning eyes. "I took her to the picnic spot, ma. Everything was perfect…I confessed my love, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry me."

The silence stretched between the three of them. Bulda cast her glance at Sven when the silence outlasted her nerves. Sven shook his head in answer of her unvoiced question.

"She said no..." Bulda breathed in understanding.

"She did." Kristoff's voice was hoarse with barely constrained emotion. "She said…no."

His fragile state morphed into molten anger. He shot up from his seat, glaring down at his mother. "I don't understand! Everything was great! I could see, I could _literally_ see how much she loved me when I was talking to her. She should've said yes. Even Elsa thought she'd say yes! I've done everything, _everything_ I could think of to adapt for _her!_ "

"Now Kristoff." Bulda straightened her stance which didn't make much of a difference in height, but it got her warning across. "Anna has done just as much to adapt to your way of living. How many times has she visited us and ate with us? I know you love our food, but you were raised with it." Bulda shook her head, smiling fondly, "Anna really must have a strong stomach to endure everything she's eaten here..."

His anger was quenched with guilt and confusion, leaving a hollow pit where his heart should be. "I just – I just don't understand what I did wrong..."

"Kristoff," the troll waddled towards his bed, "my Pebble, take a seat would you?"

He sat, that heavy weight still crushing his shoulders while he stared at his hands. Bulda took them in her own coarse fingers, rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hands.

"Have you considered that there might be more to this situation than meets the eye?"

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait," Anna leaned the sled left, following the ice trail she had directed her sister to make through the forest, "you mean he was actually okay with becoming a lord?"

"Yeah, even Gjude –"

"Soft right and even out." Anna interrupted.

" – was helping him." Elsa willed her magic to create the slide at her sister's instructions. "Preparing him, he said."

The redhead smiled at Kristoff's determination and willingness to adapt to their royal life. Doubt slammed into her subconscious, making her smile drop away.

"What if he won't accept my explanation…?"

"Anna, he took dancing lessons for you."

"Go right to avoid that rock."

Elsa thickened the ice over the rock so that they could keep their straight path instead of swerving out of every obstacle in their way.

"He went to a formal dinner and survived." Elsa continued, scrunching her brow in concentration as she continually created and destroyed the slide they were using to zip through the forest. She pushed more power into the breeze moving them forward.

"He would've given up long ago if he didn't think you were worth it. He loves you. Both of you just – need to talk through this."

"I honestly thought I was over the whole Idiot of the Southern Isles thing – go left at that big boulder– and it's not like I didn't talk with Kristoff about him. I did…" Anna sighed and shook her head.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Elsa evened their trail again after going left, blasting extra magic behind her to get them over the small hill. "It's – it's like when I still needed to remind myself that I wouldn't – hurt you with my magic. It took a while for me to – relax completely."

"But _two years_? I mean really, melodramatic much?"

"It just shows you – that you did learn form – your mistakes."

Anna nodded, pensive. "You still okay?" she asked when they crested the hill.

"Just –" Elsa released a deep breath, "just getting tired. But I can still – go for a while longer. How much further?"

"Straight on from here. Maybe fifteen minutes or so if we keep this pace…more or less. That hill was the last big obstacle."

"Okay…"

"Thank you Elsa."

The blond smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Solskinn."

* * *

"Have you considered that there might be more to this situation than meets the eye?" Bulda asked Kristoff.

"What else could there be?"

The troll raised her eyebrow at him, "What do I always tell you?"

"Uh…don't leave your underwear where the baby trolls can use them as masks?"

"Yes." She scrunched her nose, "But no, that's not what I'm thinking of. Try again."

"Don't…" Kristoff scratched his head, "uh, don't forget to scrub when I take a bath?"

"Kristoff, I love you dearly but sometimes you can be as thick as a boulder, you might as well have been a troll."

"Ma, you say many things." Kristoff refuted with an eye roll, "How am I supposed to know what you're referring to?"

"Why are we having this conversation in the first place," she placed her hands on her hips, "hmm?"

The mountain man's slight smile fell from his face, "You know why…"

"Yes," a consoling hand went to his knee, "So this is a _love_ problem, is it not?"

"Yeah…"

"So…what do I al-ways say? About _love_?" she urged him with a wave-like hand motion. His brow furrowed in thought for a few moments and then he looked at her with uncertainty.

"To throw it at people?"

A smile pulled at her lips. "Why?"

" 'Cause people make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed'?" he recited automatically and then frowned, contemplative.

"Yes." She huffed with a fond smile, "So, now that we're on the same page. Do you think Anna might've felt one or more of those emotions?"

"But why though?" Kristoff stood up to pace, suddenly worried that he had done something wrong. "Did I move too fast? Have I been misreading the signs? Did I push her into the next step in our relationship too quickly? I though two years would be long enough to wait… I knew I had to keep things slow 'cause, you know, that pile of reindeer dung had hurt –"

Kristoff stopped pacing, pivoted on his heal, and looked down at his mother whose smile had turned exasperated.

"Yes, my dear. That may be _exactly_ why she reacted the way she did."

* * *

"Anna, c-can we rest a bit?" Elsa asked breathlessly, "I-I've never had to use – my powers for that long – before."

"Yes, of course!" Anna turned her head, concerned for her sister's wellbeing, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"We –we're in a – hurry."

"It doesn't matter if you get hurt or something during the process, you Stinker."

The sled came to slow stop as Elsa cut her magic off. The trees stood around them like soldiers, casting them in their tall shadows. Her magical glow dissipated leaving only the faint shine of the blue ice beneath the sled form the dappled moonlight streaming through the leaves. It looked like tiny spotlights shining upon them, creating rainbows in the ice.

Elsa slumped forwards, exhausted.

"Are you alright?' Anna turned and caught her sister's shoulders, biting her lip.

"I'm fine…jus-just gimme a sec." Elsa's breathing was fast, like she had been running a marathon.

"I'm sorry…I didn't think –"

"It-it's not your fault." The blonde straightened, feeling lightheaded as she did so. "I should've said – something earlier…"

"Yes, you should have." Anna agreed, keeping an arm on her sister to stabilise her. She was rewarded with a faint smile.

A twig snapped in the distance.

Anna whipped her head towards the sound, tightening her grip on her sister's shoulder. Elsa frowned and looked towards the right where the sound was heard. Her movements were slow and sluggish at best.

"Els…" the redhead whispered, teal eyes scanning the forest. All the wilderness survival lessons Krostoff had drilled into her, came to mind waving its red flags. Taking in her surroundings, she realised that the forest had gone completely still.

"Elsa, I need you to get us out of here." A rustling of leaves to their left had Anna's head spin in that direction.

"I'm not rested enough yet…" Elsa turned to look left; her movements returning back to normal but taking its sweet time to do so. At least her breathing was even again. "What's wrong?"

Squinting, Anna peered into the darkness to see shapes moving between the trees. Moving towards them. The moonlight caught the yellow gleam of eyes and Anna felt her heart jolt into her throat.

"Elsa, you need to make a dome or something around us." Anna searched around their sled frantically. "Now. Right now."

* * *

"I'm such an idiot!" Kristoff exclaimed, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. "It makes so much more sense…she's scared." He looked up into Bulda's understanding earthen eyes, "I don't know about what exactly…not yet, but I know we need to talk about it. I need to go back."

He stood up and Sven bolted to his feet outside his room, bounding in excitement.

"Or you can wait for her here, Pebble." Bulda suggested, waddling out of his cave-room after him. "She's probably on her way here right now. You know how Anna can be."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "Gods I love that woman…and to think…" he shook his head, turning to look down at her. "I'm no good at this, ma. What if I do something stupid and lose her for good next time." He threw his hands in the air, "All of this could've been avoided if I'd just _stayed_ at Arendelle instead of running away like a –"

A lone wolf howl cut him off. His blond hair made waves as he swivelled his head in the direction it came from.

"That's close." Bulda commented next to him, curious. "They've never been this close to us before. Hmm. Must've followed prey from their valley..."

"Or followed a certain Princess on her way to ours." He said, worried. "Sven, let's go check it out."

"Bring her back here if it turns out to be her, okay?" she told his back while he rummaged through a chest in his room.

"Yes ma." Kristoff said attaching a knife to his belt. In one quick lunge he was atop his friend and speeding towards the direction he had heard the wolf's howl.

"Be safe!" Bulda called at Sven and Kristoff's rapidly shrinking forms.

"Always am!"

* * *

"Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad."

"Jee, really? W-what gave you – that idea?"

"Sarcasm isn't going to help, _Elsa_. Just focus on holding the ice dome."

"Pointing out – the obvious – won't help either – _Anna_."

Elsa grimaced as her crude, lopsided dome was bombarded with claws from every side. The five wolves surrounding them were relentless, searching for weaknesses in the thin ice separating them from their meal. Anna clutched a thick branch, brandishing it like a sword when a wolf decided to charge the dome. With every strike form the outside, the dome would crack. The spider web fractures would be filled with more ice before it could weaken further. But, it was slow going. Elsa was not yet fully recovered from using her magic for such a long time.

"We should've taken the horses…" Anna muttered, eyeing the wolves with determination that mingled with wariness like two paint tones in a can.

Elsa sat on the sled, arms held aloft to keep the dome in place. She grit her teeth when the alpha, the biggest male, rammed himself against the ice, scratching with wild desperation and a snarling maw.

"You okay, sis?" Anna glanced down and saw her sister's whole face scrunched in concentration and pain.

"I – I won't be a-able to keep this up for l-long." She said closing her eyes, to focus her concentration.

After having been forced to keep her magic in for so long, Elsa had vowed to use her magic as often as possible. Having had nothing to do with it so long had stretched her magic reserve and made it porous, like a sponge. If left alone it would fill up to full capacity, but when she used it she would have to squeeze the magic out of her 'sponge'. The long, fast trek up the mountain had depleted her reserves somewhat, making her squeeze every ounce of magic into her dome. It wavered, quivering like a leaf in a breeze making Anna's eyes flit around at the weakening structure. She realised that the dome and their time was running out. Water trickled down is slopes like beads of sweat.

"Can you stand?" Anna asked, knowing they'd have a better chance at defending themselves if they faced the threat standing.

Elsa shook her head, eyes closed firmly, focusing solely on keeping their shield up. She could feel her magic pulse through her body like a somnambulist stumbling through a narrow street. Her heartbeat was increasing, sweat running down her temples.

A sudden unexpected breeze wafted into the dome.

"Wait what?" Dread spiked through Anna's system when she saw the dome start to dissolve above them.

A glance at her sister and she knew that they'd be wolf chow in a matter of minutes if something doesn't happen to equal their odds very, very soon.

* * *

 **Alrighty then...Some people might not like this, the part about Elsa becoming tired?**

 **My reasoning is that she's unfit in the use of her powers for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong, Elsa is Winter incarnate, but after suppressing her powers for so long, my guess she had a type of magical build up that aided in the 'eternal winter' thing in the movie. Now though, she needs to** **exercise it, much like a muscle to strengthen it. If yo don't agree, no problem, but for this story I'm afraid it is so.**

 **Ah, the wonders of fan fiction.**

 **Ok :) see ya in the next and last chapter**


	3. Family

**Hellooooo, whelp this took forever. Well, it took longer than I thought it would. University interfered, but now I can post dis and have done with it :D**

 **Thank you sooooo much for your reviews :)**

 **I hope the last chapter rounds it out nicely.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

Kristoff could hear the wolves yapping as he neared them. A strange sound accompanied their impatient growls, like nails on a chalkboard. He recognised the sound. Having been amongst ice his whole life, he knew the screeching sound a pick could make, or the sound of boot spikes scraping against the ice. His only conclusion could be that Elsa had created a shield to protect them from the wolves that were clawing at it to get inside. The fact that the wolves didn't sound distressed, if their furious growls where any indication, sent a chill down his spine.

Somehow he knew; Elsa wasn't fighting back.

" _Faster Sven_!"

They burst through to an area where five wolves were clawing at a rapidly shrinking ice dome. It looked like something had poured boiling water onto it from above, dissolving it like chocolate on a hot day. Kristoff jumped off of Sven at about the same time a huge wolf lunged for the dome and shattered it. The animal yelped when it was body slammed onto the ground with a thump, thrashing beneath him.

"Kristoff!" Anna's cry sent a trill of relief and dread through him like a bolt of lightning. She was alright, but still in danger.

The mountain man shot up from the writhing wolf, shoving it away from him and fell into a defensive stance, knife held at the ready. With a quick glance at his surroundings he surveyed the situation they were in. He had managed to manoeuvre himself next to Anna and in front of Elsa protectively. The latter was lying on the sled, panting, and looking spent beyond what he had ever seen before. He focussed on the alpha growling before him and heard Anna whack a wolf with whatever she had in her hands to his right. It yelped but didn't back down. None of the wolves did. Sven grunted behind him, he knew instinctively that he was using his antlers to keep the downed Queen guarded on the other side. Kristoff knew they had to scare them away. And quickly.

"Make a lot of noise!" he yelled, lunging towards the wolf before him with a bestial roar. Knife gripped in white knuckles, he puffed out his enormous chest to try to make himself even bigger. Sven bayed and stamped his feet, swiveling his head with his antlers so low to the ground he was tilling it. Anna shouted in a mixture of high and low pitches, sounding like someone who couldn't figure out how to use their voice. She swung her stick in an over exaggerated show of hostility at any and all wolves closest to her.

The predators kept their distance and persistence, circling the four of them with slow, calculating steps and watchful eyes. They would jump away from the branch or antlers, but come closer almost immediately, searching for a weakness in their defences.

"It's _not_ working!" Anna hissed, taking another swing and almost hitting Kristoff upside his head.

"I can see that." he ducked another wayward swing. His sharp eyes darted around, keeping a close eye out for any changes in their manner. "Just don't panic."

"Panic? Why would I panic?" Anna scoffed, holding her branch like a saber, keen eyes scanning white teeth. "It's not like we're surrounded by wolves who clearly _aren't_ hungry enough to wait us out before they swallow us whole."

The redhead spared him a sideways glance, trying to see if he had caught her sarcasm.

That's when everything went wrong.

Kristoff saw a grey jerk of movement out of the corner of his eye. Time slowed down to a crawl. The mountain man turned his head and watched a snarling mouth lunge towards Anna who had – stupidly – let her guard down. Opening his mouth to shout her name, he tried to grab her out of the way. But she stood at too awkward an angle for him to get a grip on her. His fingers brushed her sleeve by a hairsbreadth. So focussed was he on grabbing a hold of her that he had failed to see another wolf lunge at him.

Razor sharp canines glinted from inside a gaping maw, ready to swallow them all whole. A sudden, intense flash of blue light made Kristoff jolt. He stumbled over his feet, grabbing onto Anna and falling with her to the ground. They landed in a heap with him on top of her. Protecting her head, he braced himself to be clawed and mauled but nothing happened. Only a whimpering and a whining could be heard in the otherwise quiet forest.

"You-you can get of – off me now." Anna huffed. "I think Elsa – did something."

Kristoff dared to look up and saw that the wolves were frozen to the ground by their paws. They lunged and jerked about, struggling to get free but clearly failing with straining muscles that rippled beneath their fur. Some were frozen with all four their paws on the ground, others only had two frozen.

 _Must've been jumping when they were flash frozen_ , Kristoff mused with grim realisation, still protecting Anna's head as he double checked that they were safe.

Their snarling and growling had taken on a higher pitch than before. A change had come over them; they were on the defensive. For now, it looked like they were as safe as they could be surrounded by starving wolves frozen to the ground. Kristoff got up warily, searching for his knife while he eyed the ice trapping the predators. It looked sturdier than the dome had, but he wasn't confident it would hold them for an indefinite amount of time.

"We need to get out of here." He stated gruffly. He grabbed his knife and looked down at the sisters.

Anna had gotten up and was trying to help Elsa stand up from the small sled they must've brought with them. He looked at Sven, calculating in his mind whether or not the three of them would fit on his back. With a simple shake of his head, he turned to the sisters. They wouldn't all fit. He'd have to walk next to Sven while the girls rode.

Anna was murmuring something as she braced her sister while they both still sat on the sled, a frown of concern creasing her forehead. Elsa was paler than he'd ever seen her before, and she was pretty pale to begin with. A sheen of sweat crowned her frowning brow. It didn't look like she was in pain, but a closer look showed that she could be. The muscle in her jaw trembled as she clenched and unclenched it, lips drawn into a thin line.

"Here, let me help." Kristoff offered, keeping his eyes on the Queen.

Without waiting for an answer, he picked Elsa up bridal style and searched for a safe way pass the growling wolves. He turned in a slow circle, Elsa being too tired and weak to argue about being held. A space big enough to allow Sven through came into view. Kristoff whistled, Sven got the cue. He creeped past the wolves trying either to escape their confines, or bite him as he slunk towards freedom. His blond head motioned for Anna to exit the struggling wolf circle before he followed out behind her with Elsa.

Anticipating his friend's needs, Sven kneeled and looked up at the mountain man expectantly. Kristoff smiled and shifted Elsa in his arms, "You two are going to ride him while I walk next to you." he hesitated before he said, "...Anna, you need to hold Elsa steady, 'kay?"

"Alright." Anna said, keeping her worried eyes on her sister.

After Elsa was placed on the reindeers back, Kristoff stayed beside her until Anna mounted Sven. She sat behind her sister, holding her close when the blonde sagged back against her. Sven tried to get up as smoothly as possible, but Kristoff still had to steady the girls as Sven bound up from the ground.

Kristoff let his hands linger in the air, making sure they weren't going to topple off. Satisfied that they would be fine he turned, facing the way he had come. He completely missed Anna's stricken face at his aloof attitude. Not that she was doing any better. She hadn't looked at him since they were out of danger of being mauled to death. Anna sighed through her nose and looked down at her sister's blonde head. Kristoff wasn't doing any better. His face was a mess of conflicting emotions raging inside him, creasing his brow as they started walking.

"We're a ten minute walk away from the trolls." He glanced over his shoulder at the encased wolves. "Is the ice going to hold long enough for us to reach safety?"

Elsa only had enough energy to give a soft nod. With her eyes closed, she concentrating on keeping the ice around their paws from melting and rested her head back against Anna's shoulder. Luckily it didn't take a lot of energy to think, so Elsa found herself relaxing the further away they walked.

A few minutes later, Anna broke the pregnant silence in the most Anna way possible.

"What about my sled?" She glanced back at the pack in the distance surrounding her most prized possession. "I've had that since I was a kid."

"We'll go back for it later, or I'll send some trolls to fetch it." Kristoff clutched the fur on Sven's neck to steady him as they walked, keeping his eyes forward. "The wolves are scared of the trolls."

"They won't break it, right?"

He winced, immediately seeing rough fingers manhandling the sled. "Maybe it'll be better if we fetch it later. We can take some trolls with us as a cautionary measure."

"Alright." Anna shifted on Sven's back nervously, casting fugitive glances at Kristoff's head.

The silence returned, heavy with words unspoken.

"You two need to talk." Elsa murmured through her fatigue, low enough only her sister could hear. "Soon."

"We will…" Anna whispered, looking at the night sky, her heart cramped. "when we reach the trolls. And after I've made sure you get some rest."

* * *

The trolls surrounded the four of them as soon as they stepped foot in the familiar amphitheater. A chorus of confused questions gave way to a solitary commanding voice. Grand Pabbie took immediate charge when he saw the state Elsa was in. He ordered a low bed of moss to be made so that he could help the Queen recharge her magic as soon as possible. Boulders rolled this way and that, digging up a mound of earth and flattening it. Moss was fetched and draped over the elongated dune. Small trolls rolled over and gave Grand Pabbie the two blue crystals he had asked for.

Anna, Kristoff, and Sven stood on the edge of the rapidly forming troll ring along with the youngest of them. The older trolls gathered about the Queen and Elder, holding onto the shoulders of the troll before them, chanting softly amongst themselves. The elder wove his hands over Elsa's head and heart, rustling his mane of dried grass that clinked the crystals around his neck together. His movements were slow and deliberate. The two blue crystals he held pulsed in time with the intoning trolls.

"Sh-she's gonna be okay, right?" Anna finally asked, clutching Kristoff's arm for comfort as she stared at the ritual before her. She had never seen her sister lay as still as she did now. She was always up and moving, always busy with something on another. Seeing her lay there, unmoving, so still made Anna's heart race with concern. If anything happened to her sister…she'd have nothing left.

He looked down at her then at her hand holding onto him and smiled a small smile, "Yeah, Grand Pabbie's just preforming a healing ceremony." He looked away when Anna looked at him, "I've seen him do it before when trolls get hurt. The blue crystals are a new thing, though."

"What are they?"

"Ice crystals, if I'm not mistaken."

"Are there always so many trolls helping him when one gets hurt?"

"No," Anna's hand tensed. Kristoff placed his over hers in a consoling manner. and finally looked at her. "Elsa has magic of her own, which already complicates things – not in a bad way!" he was quick to add when the tell-tale glint of panic entered her wide eyes, "Elsa just has different magic than the trolls', and she's waaaaay bigger than a troll;" he looked back up at his adoptive Grandfather and tried to hide a smirk, "Pabbie will need all the help he can get."

Anna couldn't help it, she laughed. The stresses and concerns of the day had just been too much. She desperately needed a little comic relief and Kristoff always did know what to say to cheer her up.

"Don't tell Elsa I said that." He chuckled along with her, "I've seen what a woman can do when her weight is brought up. I don't even want to know what an _ice_ _powered_ woman can do."

Anna leaned her head against his burly shoulder after her fit of giggles subsided. The gesture was habitual and familiar. Painfully so. Kristoff stiffened, but covered it up by gesturing atGrand Pabbie who was busy finishing the ritual. She stood straight, but didn't release his arm.

 _What are we supposed to do now anyway?_ he thought, working the muscle in his jaw. Were they still together? Or did her rejection of his proposal automatically mean their relationship had come to an end? The blue crystal's glow faded with the trolls' last note of their otherworldly chant.

"Is that it?" Anna asked, releasing his arm to gesture at the dispersing band of trolls.

"What'd'you expect?" he looked at her, amused despite his conflicting feelings. It was just so easy to fall back into the familiarity they had cultivated. His heart cramped with longing while his mind warred against it.

"The Northern Lights freaking out. Another flash of blinding magic. Anything, actually..."

Anna walked towards Grand Pabbie when the trolls had all gone back to their previous business. Kristoff stayed behind with Sven, watching her kneel to speak with the wizened troll. Even from all the way over from where he stood, he could read her as easily as if she were right next to him. Relief lightened her shoulders and Kristoff couldn't help a fond chuckle escape when she leaned forward to grab the 5 ton boulder into a boulder breaking hug. For her small size, Anna really had an obscene amount of strength.

Sven stood up from where he had been sitting next to his human, and promptly smacked him with his antlers.

"Ow!" he scowled down at his friend, rubbing his head. "that actually hurts you overgrown cow."

Sven lifted an eyebrow and made the rest of his face drop in exasperation. " _You need to talk to her._ "

He sighed, shoving his way-too-expressive-for-a-reindeer face away, "I will. Later."

Sven gestured towards the redhead who was on her way towards them. " _Or now…_ "

Anna held her elbow in her hand, biting her lip as she thought and Kristoff knew immediately that they were going to have the talk he had been avoiding since they were safe, now. Right now. She stopped a few meters away from them. Farther than she had ever stood from him since he's known her. He found himself missing her even though she stood right there. All she had to do was take a step closer…

"Thanks," she managed finally, voice strangely timid, "for rescuing us. I…I don't know what would've happened if…you hadn't arrived in time."

Kristoff shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. An antler connected with his head with a loud thwack.

"Ouch!" he clutched his head, glaring at the obviously annoyed bull reindeer. " _Sven_!"

The reindeer snorted with a frown and stomped off, away from his stubborn human. Muttered braying emanated from the retreating reindeer, his whole furry being radiating irritation.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked behind hands held to her mouth.

"I'm…fine." He rubbed head and brought his hands down to rub his face. "Thick skull. Listen, Anna…"

"We need to talk." They said at the same time.

Kristoff smiled in what he hoped resembled encouragement and gestured to a nearby log that they could use for this… _discussion_. When all Anna did was lower her hands from her thin lips, he decided he'd rather want to sit than stand. If he was going to survive this runaway sled conversation, he would need to sit. He moved away from her, towards the log. He heard her follow behind him, but she stayed standing when he lowered himself down.

"Kristoff…I'm sorry." She closed her eyes when he slumped where he sat. Gone was his confidence, his pride, his spark. Before her sat a man who she could clearly see was broken. She had to stay standing, knees locked in place, otherwise she'd break along with him.

"It's alright, Anna." He sighed heavily; head hanging so low his bangs coveredhis eyes. "I shouldn't've pushed you into anything…"

"Pushed me?" she opened confused eyes, looking at him in bewilderment. "You didn't – look, this isn't _your_ fault. You did nothing wrong."

The conviction in her voice made him look up. When their eyes met, the fire left her like a candle snuffed by a finger.

"You didn't do anything wrong." She repeated, hugging her middle. "It's-It's _my_ fault…"

"…What happened? At the picnic?" he stood up. Suddenly he couldn't allow her to see his weakness. He had to hide it away. If this was the end of the two years they had spent together, he needed to face it like a man. He needed to know, to understand what had happened. "I saw the love I have for you mirrored for me _in your eyes_. If I didn't do something wrong…why did you say no?"

"Technically…" she whispered, eyes surveying the worn leather of his boots."I didn't say no…"

"You didn't say yes either, Anna." His voice was low and distraught. "I thought I did everything I could," he turned away from her, looking up at the Northern lights swaying soundlessly. "to make sure we'd work, ya know? The whole, you're a Princess and I'm – well me, didn't bother me as much as it used to. I really tried, Anna –"

"I know you did! And I love you for it." She said, eyes burning. He looked down at his feet when she looked up at him. "I love the fact that you went through all the trouble to learn to dance for me. That you came to that annoying dinner with me. That you put up with all the grief I give you –"

He turned to face her, cutting her off without a word. He wasn't completely sure what was going on, but he was sure of one thing. "You're not a burden, Anna."

"How can I not be?" she asked, eyes swimming, "Two years, Kristoff. I made you wait _two years_ to take our relationship to the next level because of what happened with…" she shook her head and closed her eyes at the images bombarding her mind.

Swooning for Hans as soon as she saw how handsome he was perched atop his noble steed. The perfect Prince Charming that had come to save the damsel in distress. Just like the ones she read in her books. Marriage! To a man she had just met that day. Exactly like the stories. But then the hero turned out to be a villain and all but shattered her belief in true love.

Kristoff frowned, realising that she might be scared of him turning out to be another Hans in her life. Hadn't he proven himself already? Hadn't he done enough? Walls, strong and thick, sprang up around his heart. He will not allow himself to be vulnerable again.

"I'm not Hans." he said firmly.

Anna cringed at the hardness in his tone, sinking down deeper into herself. At her reaction Kristoff knew, without a doubt that she had been scared to make the same mistake again. But there must be some part of her that knows she had learnt her lesson? That Kristoff would never hurt her like that. Somewhere she had to know.

He watched her shrinking away, he watched himself start to lose her. He had to do something, but he didn't know what! If his mother were anywhere near the vicinity and witnessed the mess he was making of this situation, she would've thrown a boulder at his head. Heck! She would've thrown Arendelle at his head if she could. His mother…

 _Throw a little love her way._

The walls he had erected so suddenly dithered, as if confused why they had to stop growing after having been built so quickly. He couldn't keep running away or hiding how he felt. He allowed himself to feel the hurt and love he felt towards her – because of her. The emotions churned his stomach unpleasantly. It felt like betrayal. Thick and heavy and acidic. This is why he didn't like people, why he thought they all were bad. He had trusted Anna, but she didn't trust him. She hadn't said it out rightly, but some part of her was afraid that he'd leave her when she needed him the most. Like Hans had...

 _Throw a little love her way._

Well he did say that he wasn't Hans, right? And she did need him now, more than ever.

So he took one step closer to her.

"Anna…" his voice cracked, filled to the brim with the emotion he had suppressed since she broke both of their hearts. The only response he got were tears falling from her closed eyes.

He took another step closer.

"I'm _not_ Hans." He said it much softer than before, baring his soul.

By repeating that statement, he was asking her to trust him as Kristoff. He was asking her to move on, or at least to allow him to help her move one. And this was the first step in doing so. She just had to take it. She looked up, through streaming tears, at his own watery eyes. He couldn't live without her, he realised. No matter how many times they will hurt each other, be it willingly or unwittingly, he had to stay with her. He needed her as much as she needed him.

He opened his arms, exposing his heart.

Anna crumbled at the gesture. Without hesitation she leapt into his arms, shuddering in relief when they closed around her. They held each other, sharing in the pain and sorrow along with the relief and love they had.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry for hurting you." She cried into his chest.

All he could manage in response was to tighten his hold on her, accepting her apology. She sobbed in the safety of his arms, feeling the heaviness she hadn't even known she was carrying for two years lift.

Kristoff was not Hans.

She'd known that, truly she did. She'd seen it in his persistence over the years and now, she experienced it first-hand. She wouldn't've faulted him if he chose to leave her. She's pretty sure she wouldn't've survived if he had, though. She can still remember what it felt like back then, when Hans had plunged his knife straight into her freezing heart before leaving her to die in the library. She had given up on true love. Resigned to die alone… The pain she experienced was thick and heavy and acidic. But then Olaf had given her hope.

Kristoff had given her hope and he had not put her to shame ever since.

Anna sniffed and pulled away from him. They locked watery eyes that trailed down smiling faces.

She reached up to wipe a tear from his cheek. "Thank you. Thank you for understanding…"

Kristoff huffed a short laugh, "Maybe next time we should talk about a problem sooner rather than later?"

"Deal," her smile turned vulnerable, "But I need to ask you something first."

"What is it?" he cupped her cheeks and wiped the last of her tears with his thumb.

"Kristoff Bjorgman, whose favourite food is a carrot cake, is best friend to a reindeer named Sven, who has _the_ dreamiest chocolate brown eyes, and size 44 feet," she grinned up at him, answering all the questions he had asked about Hans all those years ago, replacing them with her knowledge on him instead.

He chuckled at her antics unsure as to where she was going with all this, "What are you –?"

"Will you marry me?"

He froze, hands still cupping her cheeks. Anna bit her lip and brought her hands to hold his wrists as a way to anchor them both. At her touch he seemed to thaw. A smile grew on his lips, soft and loving.

"Uhm…" he looked up at the night sky, absently taking note of how bright the Northern lights seemed. "I dunno, Anna, I might have to think about – of course I'll marry you!"

He engulfed her in a hug so quickly she squeaked. Happy giggles erupted from her as she hugged him back, savouring their new relationship status.

"You're such a goof." She muttered into his chest.

He grinned into her hair and shifted his stance. His one hand gripped her waist while the other one travelled up to her shoulder. In one swift motion he swung her around holding her in a dip from a waltz and kissed her.

A chorus of "Ewwwww!" came from the little trolls, while the older trolls shook their heads fondly saying, "It's about time!"

Bulda smiled, watching the couple straighten and Kristoff present the ring he had kept in his pocket. Anna's squeal echoed in the amphitheatre, making Elsa open her eyes and turn towards the noise.

"Oh, Majesty, you're awake." Bulda waddled over making sure she was alright when she sat up from her low bed.

"I feel much better now," she smiled at Bulda and regarded the Elder waddling towards her, "Thank you Grand Pabbie."

The wizened troll smiled in acknowledgement when he came to a stop next to his daughter.

"Elsa!" Anna sprinted the rest of the way to her sister, " _Look_! Look what Kristoff gave me! Wait, how're you feeling?" she kneeled before her, "Are you supposed to be up already? You were pretty out of it back there…"

"She'll be fine, Anna." Kristoff stood behind her, smiling happily. His grin threatened to split his face in half. "Grand Pabbie knows what he's doing."

"Thank you again, your Grace." Elsa bowed her head towards the troll as a sign of her heartfelt thanks.

"You are most welcome. And no need for such formalities, dear." He said with a merry smile.

"That's right!" Bulda chirped, "We're gonna be family soon!" and then promptly pulled her into a hug.

Elsa looked up from her awkwardly bent over position, hugging a knee high troll, mouthing at her sister for help.

"Roll with it." Anna advised with a giggle before she too was grabbed into the hug.

Laughter erupted from the small group when Kristoff barrelled himself into their embrace. Sven bound over and, before he could be stopped, started licking them all. The group broke apart with disgusted groans but with smiles on their faces.

A Snow Queen, a Princess, a mountain man, a reindeer, and hundreds of trolls – not to mention Elsa's innumerable snow creations… Yup, they were one weird family. It's the family that they've made and after almost losing it in a day, they made a vow to never let anything come between them again. Neither of them would trade the other for anything else in the world.

* * *

 **There you have it :)**

 **Hope it was fluffy enough at the end and that their** **reconciliation was portrayed in a way that was understood.**

 **This thing just ran away from me. Thanks for sticking with it :)**

 **'Till next time!**


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